Published: 07 Jun 2024 864 views
Our 2025 Here to Be grant accelerates the work of community-led non-profit organizations around the globe that are advancing the wellbeing of their communities.
About Here to Be
Powered by the lululemon Centre for Social Impact, Here to Be is our annual, application-based grant program. Since its inception in 2016, we have invested in community resilience by supporting grassroots organizations that are creating inclusive access to wellbeing practices.
Through Here to Be, our goal is to seed and sustain the work of community-led organizations that actively remove barriers to wellbeing in their communities and serve those most impacted by systemic inequities. We aim to provide philanthropic resources to organizations that may not traditionally have access to them and welcome a diverse group of new organizations to our Here to Be community every year.
We understand wellbeing to be a lifetime practice and that individuals and communities need different things in order to experience wellbeing. Given this, organizations funded by the Here to Be grant will take different approaches to this work but are united by their commitment to advancing wellbeing for all.
Defining Wellbeing
At lululemon, our purpose is to elevate human potential by helping people feel their best. We understand that everyone has their own unique definition of wellbeing. For some, it encompasses the holistic idea of mind, body, and soul. For others, it centers around specific factors, like having a sense of community or living in an inviting physical environment. We define wellbeing as a lifetime practice of three core elements. The balance of these three elements support us in feeling our best.
We also understand that planetary health is a fundamental condition for our individual and collective wellbeing. As our business grows and our work progresses, we are evolving our definition of wellbeing to explicitly integrate our dependence on a healthy planet.
Our Purpose We disrupt inequity in wellbeing through movement, mindfulness, and advocacy. Our Vision We believe everyone has the right to be well, and we know the path to wellbeing is possible when tools, support, and resources are accessible to all. However, too often around the world, barriers persist, making access far too difficult for far too many people. This is especially true for those experiencing disproportionate rates of stress and trauma. The lululemon Centre for Social Impact is setting out to break the barriers that prevent access to wellbeing. We leverage our busines... continue reading
Application Deadline | 28 Jun 2024 |
Value | $50,000 USD |
Country to study | United States |
Type | Contest |
Sponsor | Lululemon Centre for Social Impact |
Gender | Men and Women |
Here to Be is a one-year grant program. In addition to funding, we provide optional offerings to leaders throughout the grant cycle to support their individual and organizational wellbeing.
Interested organizations can apply for up to $50,000 USD in operating support, which should not exceed 40% of their operating budget. If selected, the grant will be disbursed through our Donor-Advised Fund at Charities Aid Foundation America (CAF America). Please note that Here to Be grant recipients operating in China Mainland will be funded directly from lululemon China.
We welcome applications from organizations that meet the following eligibility criteria:
What We Do Not Fund
We do not consider funding requests from:
Additionally, the Here to Be grant cannot be used for:
Application Period
Letter of Intent – June 3 to June 28, 2024
The first step in the application process is to submit a Letter of Intent. The Letter of Intent gathers information about the organization, the communities it supports, and the proposed funding request. All Letters of Intent are due by June 28 at 5pm Pacific Time (PT). We will not accept late or incomplete submissions.
Application – August 6 to August 30, 2024
Applicants will receive an email notification on August 6 to let them know if they will be moving forward to the next stage of the application process. If an organization’s Letter of Intent aligns with the goals of the Here to Be grant program and meets the eligibility criteria, they will receive an invitation to apply. All applications are due by August 30 at 5pm Pacific Time (PT). We will not accept late or incomplete submissions.
Review Period
Application Review – September 2 to November 1, 2024
The lululemon Social Impact team will review each application in partnership with a Grant Review Council. We will evaluate organizations for operational and strategic alignment based on their approach to addressing barriers and systemic inequities in wellbeing and their impact on their communities.
Selection Period
Selection of Awardees – November 5, 2024
Applicants will receive an email notification of our funding decision on November 5. If selected, the grant will be disbursed through our Donor-Advised Fund at Charities Aid Foundation America (CAF America). The grant award notification will be conditional pending CAF America’s validation review of the organization.
Please note that Here to Be grant recipients operating in China Mainland will be funded directly from lululemon China.
Documentation Collection and CAF America Validation & Payment Process – November 5, 2024 to January 31, 2025
Here to Be grant recipients will be asked to sign agreements with lululemon and CAF America. During this period, awardees will need to complete and upload the following documents to the Grants Portal:
After the documents are uploaded, CAF America may contact the awarded organizations for further documentation or follow-up during the validation process.
Please note that Here to Be grant recipients operating in China Mainland have a different document collection and payment process. Please refer to our Chinese FAQ document for more information.
Receive Funds and Award Announcement – February 2025
After the validation process is completed and organizations have been verified by CAF America, they will receive their funds by February 28. During this time, we will announce our 2025 cohort of Here to Be grantees with our collective.
* Dates may be subject to change without notice.
We recognize the time and resources required to assemble a successful application. We encourage interested organizations to review the eligibility criteria, application process, and reporting requirements to help inform their decision to apply. To support this, we have prepared worksheets containing the questions for the Letter of Intent and application. This will enable applicants to prepare their answers before filling out the online form on the Grants Portal. You can find the links to these worksheets on our FAQ page.
After you confirm your organization meets the eligibility criteria, click on the Apply for Funding button on the homepage banner, starting at 8am Pacific Time (PT) on June 3.
For organizations that are registered in China Mainland only: After you confirm your organization meets the eligibility criteria, click here to submit your Letter of Intent in Simplified Chinese, starting at 8am Pacific Time (PT) on June 3.
For more details visit: Lululemon website.